


Revelations

by NeverLane



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Gen, Magic Revealed, Timeline What Timeline
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:40:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24168985
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NeverLane/pseuds/NeverLane
Summary: Arthur discovers that Merlin has magic and things don't go exactly to plan
Comments: 7
Kudos: 82





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I really threw the timeline out the window on this one. Uther is still king but Arthur has all his knights and Morgana is evil. Also fair warning, my grammar is atrocious so apologies in advance.

Merlin suddenly yelped. He shook his hand vigorously before placing the tip of his finger in his mouth hoping to sooth the newly acquired burn. His eyes darted to the courtyard before alighting on the pyre, he visibly stiffened and quickly returned his gaze to the small flame. He stood there for a moment staring at the candle on the desk, his injured hand now hanging limply at his side. His eyes glinted gold and the flame blinked out leaving a thin trail of smoke meandering its way towards the ceiling. He seemed to shake himself out of his thoughts and began to busy himself collecting Arthurs clothes that were haphazardly strewn across the room. Arthur, who had been covertly following Merlin for the past few days, pressed himself further into the shadowed alcove as he came to the gut-wrenching realization that burning was most likely a very real fear for Merlin. A second realization hit him like a punch to the stomach, taking his breath away, the fear was by no means unfounded. He closed his eyes and proceeded to curse his imagination for making the next jump and filling his head with the images and sounds of the gangly boy tied to a pole in the middle of the courtyard, burning. When he opened his eyes, the aforementioned image seared into his brain, he noticed that the boy was gone along with his soiled clothing. Arthur peeled himself off the wall and walked slowly to the window before looking down at the pyre, he clenched his eyes shut and shook his head in an effort to remove the offending image, he had a feeling it would plague him for years to come, if not forever. With an exaggerated sigh he all but collapsed into the nearby chair and began to replay the previous days events. 

Arthur wasn’t the type to take responsibility for his unfavorable decisions, but this had well and truly been his fault. He knew that there was a group of bandits prowling the woods outside Camelot, he had been privy to the multiple meetings held about their presence, hell, he had even seen the aftermath of one their attacks when a young boy was brought in to be treated by Gaius. Despite all of this, he needed to get out the castle. He had been cooped up for over two weeks and was getting restless, mostly taking it out on Merlin, but by the end of the second week he was snapping at anyone who looked at him. He had blown up at Gwen a few hours earlier when she had merely been asking If he was ok. After seeing the hurt in her eyes as she fled his quarters, he knew he needed to go hunting. Merlin who had been standing in the corner during the whole interaction gave him a withering look as he realized what Arthur was intending on doing. Based on the encounter he had just witnessed he realized any attempts at reasoning with him would be futile and after standing there trying to formulate a sentence that would dissuade the prince, he pressed his lips into a thin line, gave a curt nod, more to himself than Arthur, and began to ready Arthur’s things. Arthur grinned at the servants back, Merlin knew him well. Normally those words would have stopped him cold, no one should know their prince that well, it always led to trouble, but Arthur had never for one second questioned Merlin’s loyalties. They left Camelot just before nightfall, Arthur had opted against horses as getting them out unseen would have been too difficult. The plan was to walk until just after dark and set up camp for the night before heading off again at first light. Everything was going well up until morning came. When Merlin woke up, he could tell something was wrong. It was quiet, and not the peaceful type you would expect of the forest, but a heavy silence that promised trouble. There were no birds heralding in the morning, no leaves rustling in the trees, there was just, nothing. His thoughts were cut short by a flash of silver as a sword arced its way towards his still prone body. Without thinking, he grabbed Arthur’s sword which was conveniently laying in between them and thrust it up to meet the other sword, effectively halting its descent.

Arthur awoke to the familiar clash of steel on steel. He jumped up and reached for the sword at his side, except it wasn’t in his belt, instead he realized it was held firmly albeit somewhat hesitantly between his servant’s slender fingers. By this time Merlin had also made it to his feet, he cast a quick glance at Arthur as he backed away from the advancing man. Arthur knew exactly what Merlin was thinking and held is hand up as his sword flew out of Merlin’s hand towards the prince’s outstretched one. He caught it deftly as Merlin continued his backwards retreat. Arthur noticed six more men heading down the embankment as his sword sliced into the arm of the first attacker who had already turned his attention to the now armed prince. The man hissed but was largely unaffected by the injury and continued sparing with Arthur. He heard more than saw at least three of the oncoming men slip and tumble down the rest of the hill, Arthur thanked his luck and adjusted his stance to accommodate the other three men who at this point had reached the bottom of the hill. Arthur’s next swing was cut short by a blinding pain in his side, he looked down and was quite surprised to find an arrow lodged in his flank. He staggered a bit before collapsing to his knees, his vision blurred and he heard Merlin desperately call his name as he fell. A blow from one of the bandits sent him the rest of the way to the floor, he was out cold before his head even hit the ground. 

Merlin noticed the men advancing down the hill before Arthur had, he also noticed a particularly long root right in the men’s path. He pointed his hand towards the root and silently whispered a few words, the root responded by rising out of the ground just enough to catch the feet of three of the men. They went tumbling down the rest of the hill and did not get up. Merlin noticed Arthur smile slightly and adjust his position to better face the other men. Merlin watched for an opening, some way he could help without it being blindingly obvious that he had magic. Something moved to his right and he stared in horror as an eighth man he had failed to notice stepped from behind a tree and loosed and arrow directly into Arthurs side. Merlin dispatched the man with a quick flare of his eyes before he called to his fallen friend. Merlin was about to send the remaining men flying when pain exploded through his head and everything went dark. 

Merlin was the first to wake, he sat up but immediately regretted the decision when a sharp pain shot through his head. He squeezed his eyes shut and held his head in his hands as the pain slowly subsided. When he could breathe again, he slowly began to take in his surroundings. The first thing he noticed was that he was in some sort of dungeon and that his hands were shackled to the wall behind him. The next thing he noticed was Arthur sprawled out on the ground just across the cell. His veins turned to ice as he remembered the arrow embedding itself into Arthur’s side. He released the breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding when Arthurs chest finally rose. Merlin reached his magic out slowly towards his friend, searching for any signs of stirring, finding none he contented himself with the feel of Arthurs steady pulse. He then turned his attention to his own predicament. The chains were not magical, so it was easy enough to release them from his wrists. He stood up slowly, still very aware of the pain in his head, he reached his hand behind his head and deftly prodded the source. He hissed when his fingers came in contact with the wound, pulling his hand back to find it stained with blood. Hearing Arthur moan slightly made him instantly forget his injury. He scurried over to Arthur and carefully lifted his chainmail and tunic. The arrow had been removed and Merlin could tell the wound was already beginning to fester. He hesitated for a moment, fearing that this act would give him away when Arthur once again gained consciousness, but a quick glance at his pale and clammy face effectively overrode those fears. He hovered his hands over the wound and felt his magic pulse into his friend, he watched the skin stich itself together and the scar begin to fade until there was no evidence of the previously gaping hole. He gently lowered his clothing back down over his side and turned his attention to the cuffs around Arthurs wrists, with a quick glance the shackles fell to the floor. Just as Merlin was getting ready to rouse Arthur, he heard heavy footsteps coming towards them. He pressed himself into the far wall so he would be out of the man’s sight. The man barely had time to register the uncuffed prince and the distinct lack of the other prisoner before he was sent flying through the air and into the far wall. Merlin turned his gaze to the cell door, sending it flying off its hinges. It hurtled across the room and skidded to a halt at the feet of the startled men who had just stampeded down the stairs. Merlin held his hands up and sent the men flying into the walls, he felt guilty as he briefly wondered if the impact had killed them before being drawn towards the noises of Arthur gaining consciousness behind him. He walked over to the prince and slipped his arm around his waist, hoisting the man into a semi standing position. They made their way out of the dungeon slowly, Merlin was confident that Arthur was largely unaware of his surroundings, so he wasn’t overly worried about how the scene below had looked. He struggled under the weight of the prince as they slowly made their way out of the crumbling castle above the dungeon. “It’s time for a diet I think” said Merlin jokingly to the semi-conscious Arthur as he lowered him to the ground and plopped down beside him panting, the pain in his head was increasing but at Arthur’s quiet murmur of “Merlin”, his own suffering was once again forgotten. 

Unbeknownst to Merlin, Arthur had been woken up mere seconds after Merlin. He was going to say something, but the words had died in his throat as he saw Merlin’s eyes flash gold and his shackles fall uselessly to ground. Despite what he had just witnessed, he still felt a tug at his heart when Merlin hissed and brought his hand back slicked in blood. Arthur twitched involuntarily and groaned when the slight movement tugged at his own injury, he snapped his eyes shut as Merlin rushed to his side. Arthur was in no state to face the man, so for now he feigned unconsciousness. It took every ounce of his willpower to not cry out when Merlin lifted his clothing away from the wound, it took even more to not scuttle across the room away from him when his skin began to tingle and the pain he had been experiencing subsided quite rapidly. Arthur had no idea why the boy had healed him, he had never known magic to do something so…good. He mentally scolded himself for the association. Magic was evil and any application of it was as well. His reprimanding was cut short when he felt his own chains fall from his wrists followed by the sounds of distant footsteps and Merlin scurrying away from him. Arthur wanted to open his eyes but was afraid of meeting those golden ones, so he kept his own closed. When he heard the thud of a body hitting the wall however, he inched one eye open slightly. The sight he was met with made him wish he had kept his eyes closed. Merlin’s eyes once again flared that incriminating gold and the cell door was sent flying across the room. Arthur held his breath as his gaze flicked between the felled door and the six men who were currently staring, quite shocked, directly at Merlin. For a moment Arthur was afraid, taking out a single man was one thing but six seemed like too many for the thin boy to handle. His fears for Merlin were quickly replaced by a distinct fear of Merlin as he raised his hands and wordlessly sent all six men careening into the walls. Arthur didn’t miss the wince that crossed the boy’s face as the men collided with the walls and then the ground, he also noticed the look that flitted through the boys now blue eyes. Arthur had seen that look in Merlin’s eyes plenty of times, but never to this extent. Merlin’s eyes practically screamed his guilt. Arthur couldn’t comprehend why a sorcerer would feel guilty about hurting, potentially killing people. Despite this thought, Arthur knew Merlin, or at least he thought he did. The Merlin he knew was hard pressed to harm even a rabbit so the guilt in that context made sense. Any sense he thought he had made of the situation was shattered when he realized what his friend was, his thoughts had already named him, but Arthur was still hesitant. Merlin was a sorcerer, his bumbling, idiot of a servant, was a sorcerer. His friend, his best friend was a sorcerer. This realization was halted by another more pressing and urgent thought, Sorcery was evil, magic was evil, so logically Merlin was evil. Arthur shook his head to try and clear his jumbled thoughts, the sound however alerted Merlin and brought the young man to his side. Arthur still wasn’t ready to face the sorcerer…the thought hurt him, but it was undeniably true. He wasn’t ready, so he assumed a groggy demeanor. Arthur felt wide awake as the man he had previously thought of as a friend helped him to his feet. Arthur desperately wanted to free himself from Merlin’s grasp and run but he also knew that he would have to face the man eventually, so he stayed put. Arthur’s mind was racing as the two men made their way away from the ruined castle. His thoughts stilled at Merlin’s comment, it was so purely Merlin that Arthur forgot for a moment who this man really was. This moment of weakness was deepened when he noticed Merlin’s face scrunch in pain, he knew the boy must be hurting, the gash on the back of his head had looked bad, even in the low light of the dungeon. Arthur murmured his name without meaning to, realizing his mistake too late he continued his ploy and allowed Merlin to fuss over him. Finally meeting Merlin’s eyes, he realized that Merlin was not at all worried about what had just transpired, the eyes he saw now were not the eyes he had seen in the dungeon. These were the gentle blue eyes of his friend, these were the eyes that always managed to pick out when something was wrong, these were the eyes of a man Arthur trusted. His mind whirring again, he made a decision, one he was sure he would later regret. He pretended like nothing had changed, he pretended that the piercing blue he was staring at was all that was ever there.

Merlin was relieved when Arthur opened his eyes, he seemed to be mulling something over, but Merlin took it as confusion and readily explained what had happened, or at least the non-incriminating parts. He told Arthur that they had been ambushed, Arthur nodded, “I remember” he said, somewhat hoarsely. Merlin seemed to pale a little, his shoulders tensing, “How much do you remember?” he asked cautiously. Arthur normally wouldn’t have noticed the tone shift but endowed with new knowledge he was fully aware. Arthur’s mind raced, how much should he reveal, he couldn’t say he remembered getting shot, how would Merlin explain the lack of any resulting injury. “I remember feeling a pain in my side, you calling my name, then nothing” he replied. The color returned to Merlin’s face and he nodded. “Yeah, there was another guy, I didn’t notice him in time” Merlin’s eyes suddenly darkened at the memory as he continued to speak, “he shot you with an arrow”. Arthurs eyes widened, he didn’t think Merlin would admit the injury had occurred, how was he planning on explaining his miraculous recovery. Merlin however took this surprised look as distress, “don’t worry” he said hastily, “the arrow never pierced your armor, but I imagine it hurt, it distracted you enough so that one of the other men could knock you out.” Arthur was perturbed at how easily the lie slid off his servant’s tongue, but he continued to hold his own. “I got knocked out too” said Merlin his hand unconsciously gravitating towards the back of his head. Noticing the slight worry in Arthur’s eyes, Merlin quickly dropped his hand “it’s just a bump, I’m fine”. Images of those blue eyes turning a fiery gold squelched any worry Arthur was feeling, he simply nodded and changed the subject, “so, what happened after that?”. Glad that the prince hadn’t pushed the subject, Merlin continued with his semi-fabricated tale, “well, I woke up as they were untying us from the horses. I recognized the sigil on one of the men’s vests as that of slave traders. They had barely paid me any attention, I guess I’m not quite what they were looking for” said Merlin a slight glint in his eye and a lopsided grin coming easily to his face. Wanting to keep up the charade, “well of course not, you look like you can barely hold yourself up, you would be useless as a slave” Arthur retorted, forcing a small smile. “well that was good for me anyway” Merlin replied but continued the story, “I knew that no slave trader in his right mind would take the Prince of Camelot, so I made them well aware of who they had in their clutches. Once they learned who you were, they left pretty quickly. I decided to try and get you out of the area in case the men told someone who wouldn’t mind having you as a hostage. And here we are.” Merlin concluded opening his arms and gesturing to their surroundings. The lies had come far too easily, and Arthur was deeply unsettled by this fact. “where is here exactly?” he asked, genuinely curious as he finally took in their surroundings. Merlin frowned to himself, his brow furrowing as he too looked around. “I’m not quite sure, I knew I had to get you away, so I just started walking” he replied, shrugging. “Why didn’t you walk us back towards Camelot?” Arthur questioned, he hadn’t intended to push the subject, but the question just sort of came out. Merlin stared at him and his token smile returned to his face, “you know I have no sense of direction” he said. Arthur laughed, not because what he had said was funny, but because of how ridiculous it sounded now that Arthur knew who he truly was. Merlin took his laugh as a sign of agreement and his smile widened just a bit. 

The walk back to Camelot had been long, 4 days long to be exact. Arthur was too preoccupied with his own thoughts to notice that every day Merlin got a little paler and began to move a little slower. When the walls of Camelot finally loomed in front of them Uther was at the gate accompanied by numerous knights as well as Gaius and Gwen. Gaius noticed Merlin’s pallor immediately but said nothing as he received a pointed look from the boy. Merlin was a bit surprised and a little hurt that Arthur had not noticed his changing demeanor but brushed it off as stress and lack of sleep. Gwen picked up on Merlin’s color, or lack thereof, soon after checking on Arthur. She did not receive the same silencing look that Gaius had and proceeded to make his current state well known. “My God, Merlin you look terrible. Are you alright?” she asked rushing over. Arthur’s head whipped around at her sudden exclamation. He was shocked as his eyes alighted on Merlin’s thin, shivering frame, truly taking in the sight for the first time in days. He felt a pang of guilt that he had not noticed his servants suffering, that guilt was quickly wiped away and replaced with a simmering anger when he remembered what had transpired in the dungeon of the ruined castle. He turned his gaze back to his father, well aware of Gwen’s accusatory stare. Merlin tried to brush her off with a nod of his head, but he knew it had been a mistake the moment his chin dropped towards his chest. His already spotty vision swam, he felt the world begin to tilt and saw the ground rush up to meet him. Arthur turned back towards the sorcerer when he heard the sound of a body hitting the cobblestone. Gaius was at Merlin’s side in an instant, Gwen’s hands were fluttering uselessly over his body unsure of what to do and afraid of injuring him further. Gaius looked pleadingly at Uther who nodded in understanding and ordered two of the knights to carry the boy to Gaius’s chambers. Arthur was struggling, he was worried about Merlin, but he was also acutely aware of who and what the boy was, he didn’t deserve his worry. Those thoughts did nothing to lessen the clenching in his stomach as he realized the boy was so light that it only took one knight to carry him away. Arthur was brought out of his thought’s by his father’s hand clapping him roughly on the shoulder and his demand to know what had happened. Uther looked behind Arthur as a chorus of hoofbeats sounded towards the now dwindling group. Arthur turned and was surprised when his gaze landed on his knights. They were off their horses almost before they had stopped, Uther stepped back and allowed the 5 men to surround his son. “I expect to see you in my chambers before the day is out” Uther said to his son. Not waiting for an answer, he turned and walked back towards the castle, flanked by a volley of his own knights. “Where the hell have you been” Gwaine exclaimed, “tactful as always Gwaine” joked Arthur as he embraced the man. “Where’s Merlin?”, those two words sent Arthurs world spiraling back into chaos. His smile dropped as he turned to face Lancelot who was expectantly awaiting an answer to his question. “I need to speak with you all in private” Arthur said darkly as his gaze shifted from knight to knight.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so much for the support :)  
> I hope this lives up to expectations.

Despite the war going on inside Arthurs mind, he was more at ease than he had been in many days. Arthur knew these men would have his back when he informed them of what he had learned, He wasn’t sure what his plan was yet, but he had no doubt that his knights would back him up. He had gathered the men in an abandoned room in the crypts below Camelot. They sat around a large circular table, Arthur however stood stock still with his arms folded across his chest. The knights seemed nervous, they all liked Merlin, quite a lot if they were being honest and Arthur’s words had worried them. Of all the knights however, Lancelot and Gwaine seemed to be most attached to the young boy. Lancelot, like most of the other knights was not hiding his fear. The only knight who seemed unbothered by the situation, as per usual, was Gwaine. No matter what circumstances the knights had found themselves in, Gwaine always remained optimistic, usually to the point of irritation but his childlike demeanor grounded the group and was usually welcomed with open arms. He was currently leaning back somewhat precariously in his chair with his feet resting on the rounded table. To the untrained eye, Gwaine was quite relaxed and unfazed by the events occurring but the knights knew Gwaine better than most, his eyes betrayed his true feelings, they mirrored those of everyone around the table, except for Arthur. His eyes were hard, unflinching, this did not go unnoticed, but the knights held their tongues, knowing an answer was coming. Arthur looked at each man in turn before deadpanning, “Merlin has magic.” Lancelot stiffened visibly, his worry deepening. Gwaine fell backwards in what normally would have been a comedic scene but given the words that had just passed their prince’s lips not a soul laughed. There was a moment of silence broken only by the sound of Gwaine rocketing to his feet before questions were hurled at Arthur left and right, he held up his hand and the questions ceased. “Merlin Is a sorcerer, he has magic” he said. This statement doing nothing to answer the questions swirling in the knight’s minds. Gwaine began to speak but clapped his mouth shut when he met Arthurs cold, unwavering eyes. “I wouldn’t believe it myself if I hadn’t seen it” He sighed and sank into his chair before beginning to tell his story. Everyone was visibly shocked, except Lancelot, he was many things but shocked was not one them. As Arthur continued, his voice becoming harsher by the minute, what was originally worry had drifted to fear and was now a sharp terror coursing through his veins. So many thoughts were flying through Lancelot’s head that he was hardly listening anymore. If Arthur had told Uther, Merlin may already be dead, the thought floored him. Could Arthur really sentence Merlin, his friend, to death. The iciness of his voice suggested that he could. Lancelot’s fear was slowly pushed away by anger, hot and dangerous. He stood up abruptly, sending his chair clattering to the floor, Arthur’s story stopped and all eyes turned from Arthur to the seething man now standing across the table. “Where is he?” he growled, no one had ever seen Lancelot this angry, he was practically shaking, everyone in the room would have been lying if they had said they were not a little afraid of the usually placid man now glaring daggers at the prince. It was quiet for a moment before a small yet forceful “no” forced its way past Gwaine’s lips. He stood up slowly, he had connected the same dots that Lancelot had only moments before. He wasn’t angry yet, he was hopeful, he was hoping, desperately so, that Arthur hadn’t sent the boy to his death. Like dominoes the other knights began to come to the same conclusion, despite their fondness of Merlin, they were not as ready to openly defy their prince and so stayed seated, but their feelings were beginning to echo Lancelot’s as the silence continued. Arthur was also fuming, he trusted these men to have his back but clearly that had trust had also been misplaced. “He’s with Gaius” he practically spat as he stood up. Gwaine was around the table in an instant, his anger soon meeting and far surpassing Lancelot’s. Arthur stepped back surprised but Percival who had been seated next to the prince stood up and physically blocked Gwaine’s advance, Leon also jumped up and grabbed ahold of Gwaine’s shoulders. “what did you do him?” shouted Gwaine struggling against Leon’s hold. Arthur was about to answer when the sound of a door slamming interrupted him. Lancelot was gone, and everyone knew where he was going. Gwaine stopped fighting Leon and put his hands up in surrender, Leon warily let go of Gwaine ready to grab him again should he make a move. He didn’t however, instead he looked directly at Arthur “I told Merlin all royals were the same, I said I wasn’t going to serve you because no royal deserved my loyalty. He told me I was wrong, he said you were different, he told me you would change the world. That kid believes in you more than I have ever believed in anything in my whole life. It was his unwavering faith in your character that finally convinced me to stay. I thought that anyone who Merlin looked up to that much must be a man worthy of my service. Clearly my initial assessment was correct. You don’t deserve him, you never did. Merlin is a hundred times the man you will ever be. Once Merlin realizes that, the world will be a better place.” Gwaine’s anger seemed to dissipate as he spoke those last words. His chest was still heaving but he had calmed. Everyone had been stunned into silence, Arthur most of all. Gwaine turned away from Arthur and began to walk towards the door, his hand reached out to push open the door, but he stopped. His gaze fell to the floor, “if he dies…” The air was heavy as he paused, Arthur wasn’t sure if It was for dramatic effect or if the seemingly un-fazeable man was indeed struggling to find the right words, either way the last words had their desired effect, “I will run you through” Gwaine pushed the door open and left the room. Arthur knew Gwaine, Arthur knew all his knights. He knew they would never hurt him, no matter how angry they got, they had promised their lives to him and he knew their honor was something they held above all else. But Arthur had never heard Gwaine use that tone before, a sudden cold and undeniable truth hit Arthur, almost as hard as Merlin’s treachery had. Gwaine, for the first time since Arthur had met him over 3 years ago had meant every word he’d said. His voice had been devoid of any humor, none of the knights had ever heard that before. His words sank deep into every man’s bones. Arthur looked at the stunned faces around him, he cleared his throat and the three remaining men slowly turned their gaze to the Prince, “you are dismissed” he said, Leon made a move to protest, but Arthur’s look silenced him. The men glanced at each other before filing out of the room. Arthur felt spent, he collapsed into the chair, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. Gwaine, like all the knights, was a man of extreme loyalty. Gwaine would gladly have given his life for Arthur’s, he knew that Gwaine couldn’t hold a grudge to save his life, but those five words had felt like a cord being snapped. Arthur knew that he had lost Gwaine, and he would most likely never get him back. He was sure he had lost Lancelot as well, he had made it very clear from the get-go that Merlin was more important to him than Arthur. Arthur had accepted this, it had honestly relieved him, it meant he didn’t have to worry about the boy so much, he would always have someone watching his back. Arthur was losing everyone close to him, Gwen’s face earlier had been like a knife to his stomach but he couldn’t face it in that moment, so he had pushed it away. But now that look of horror, and disgust was making itself quite comfortable in the forefront of his mind, along with Lancelot’s deadly glare and Gwaine’s words which Arthur realized had been the final nail in the coffin. He knew the other knights were doubting him right now, he had seen it in their faces after Gwaine had left. He was well and truly alone now, and it was his fault. For the first time in a long time, Arthur began to cry.

Lancelot was still fuming when he reached Gaius’s door, as soon as he heard the commotion from behind the door his anger turned swiftly back to fear. He opened the door tentatively at first but upon hearing Merlin cry out he threw it the rest of the way open and practically lunged into the room. Merlin was seated on a cot while Gaius was gingerly pressing an already blood-soaked cloth against the back of Merlin’s head, trying to clear the blood from a particularly nasty gash. Gwen’s back was turned to the door, but she turned around suddenly when the door had been thrown open. She was tense expecting to meet Arthurs eyes and fully ready to scream at the clotpole, Merlin had really hit the nail on the head with that one. She relaxed instantly when she was instead met with the fear filled eyes of Lancelot. “He’ll be alright” she soothed walking over and placing her hand on his upper arm. “He doesn’t look like it” he replied bluntly, his eyes raking over the boys thin, shaking frame. “He’s right here you know” came Merlin’s snarky reply, his back was turned to them, but they could practically hear the goofy grin. Lancelot was still in shock and instead of laughing at the boys comment like he usually would have, he walked briskly across the room before hoisting the boy up from his seated position, “wha…” Merlin was unable to continue his line of questioning seeing as his face was now pressed firmly against the knight’s shoulder. Lancelot was careful to avoid the gash on the boy’s head, but he held him firmly to his chest all the same. Merlin was still for a moment before wrapping his arms around the man’s torso and returning the hug. Gaius coughed awkwardly and Lancelot let go, albeit reluctantly. No one could ever know what images had flooded his mind when he thought Arthur had harmed Merlin. Despite seeing the boy alive, he needed the physical confirmation to accompany it. No longer being held up by Lancelot, Merlin began to sway but before he could tilt over, Lancelot’s hands had returned and lowered him gently back onto the cot. “I’m sorry” he said his eyes flicking to Gwen before returning to the boy, “We had no idea where you had gone and when I saw Arthur alone at the front gates, I feared the worst” Merlin smiled in understanding. Lancelot nodded and walked back towards Gwen, she was trying and failing to hide her smile. He moved to stand beside her as Gaius resumed cleaning the wound. She looked up at him “I’m glad he has someone who cares so much”, Lancelot looked back at her “you and Gaius care about him just as much as I do” he said, “yes, we do. But when it comes to his safety, you are more important” she responded. He shifted his gaze to his feet but nodded slightly in understanding. “I used to think the same of Arthur…” she said, Lancelot stiffened as he remembered what had transpired in the crypts just minutes before, “but now, I’m not so sure” she finished sadly, looking at Merlin who was oblivious to the entire conversation. Lancelot lifted his gaze from the floor to Merlin then to Gwen. “did he do this to him?” he asked, afraid of the answer. Arthur had failed to mention Merlin’s injury during his story which worried Lancelot. “No” she replied quickly, her head snapping up to look at him. “Why would you think that?” she hissed quietly. He gestured towards the door with his head, she got the message. “Gaius?” she said, his only response was a grunt, “Do you still have need of me, I need some air” she said, glancing at Merlin who was still facing the other direction. Before Gaius could answer Merlin spoke up “Gwen its fine, honestly, go. Just when you come back if you could bring a pastry I would be forever in your debt” he said humor heavy in his voice, “of course, I’ll be back before the day is over” she laughed. “I’m going to accompany her if that’s okay” said Lancelot. Again, it was Merlin who spoke, he tried to turn his head, but Gaius’s hand on his chin stopped him “yeah, it’s fine. Your too emotional and mushy to be of much use anyway” he said teasing the knight. Lancelot let out a fake laugh in response but did not see a need to have a smile join it seeing as no one but Gwen was looking at him. “I’ll see you later” he said. Merlin lifted his hand and waved in a very haphazard way. Lancelot let Gwen go through the door, glancing back at Merlin once more before gently closing the door. They walked down the hall and turned the corner only to run smack into Gwaine. His eyes flitted desperately between Lancelot and Gwen, “He’s ok” said Lancelot grabbing his shoulders. Gwaine visibly sagged with relief, “I need to see him” said Gwaine who had seen the same images Lancelot had. “later” said Lancelot, “he wants a pastry, you can bring it to him after we talk” he said trying to sooth the man who was almost shaking. 

Gwen was puzzled, she was scared too, she had been terrified. The first few days were to be expected, she had noticed Arthurs mood and assumed that he was out hunting with Merlin. She had felt bad for Merlin, she knew he hated those trips. She was unaware of the presence of the bandits so had no reason to fear the worst, that is until the sixth day passed without any sign of either man. She had run into Leon on her way to Gaius’s and he had informed her of their suspicions. She feared that they were both dead but when she saw them both alive and fairly well, her fears had disappeared. She had been relieved to see Merlin alive but the response these two normally stoic men where now displaying told her she was missing something, something important. “We need somewhere to talk in private” said Lancelot, interrupting Gwen’s train of thought, “my house” she said suddenly glancing at both men, they nodded their assent and began walking through the castle.

She opened her front door and ushered the two knights inside. She began to busy herself making tea but when neither man spoke, she turned around. “What on earth is going on” she said, sounding exasperated. Both men looked at each other before meeting her gaze. She saw uncertainty in Gwaine’s eyes which floored her. The tea was forgotten as she hurriedly sat down at the table followed by the two men. They both looked intently at Gwen, but she met Lancelot’s eyes, “Merlin has magic” he said simply, not wanting to pull any punches. Gwen gasped, her gaze boomeranging between the two men, half hoping Gwaine would smile and tell her they were kidding. But she knew better, Gwaine had never looked as serious as he did in that moment. She closed her mouth and looked at the table in front of her. Lancelot and Gwaine exchanged a nervous look, she wouldn’t react the way Arthur had, would she? The question was evident in both of their expressions. Gwen was smart, far smarter than anyone gave her credit for, the pieces clicked quite quickly. Both men recognized the horrified look, they had felt the same thing and most likely seen the same thing she was seeing now. “He can’t be angry enough…Can he?” she questioned, her gaze returning to Lancelot’s. “He certainly seemed so” replied Gwaine sadly. Gwen’s hand reached up to cover her mouth as she let out a sob, not doubt being plagued by those images once again. Lancelot grabbed her free hand effectively bringing her attention back. “We won’t let anything happen to him” he said stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. She nodded numbly, one hand still covering her mouth. Gwaine stood up suddenly, “I don’t understand how he could be so cold” he said, anger lacing his words. “He gathered us in that room to help him pass sentence on his best friend” he continued restlessly pacing back and forth. Lancelot could sense the anger bubbling up in his friend, he was feeling the same, but he knew that now was not the time to go knocking things off shelves. “Gwaine, sit down” said Lancelot, his statement leaving no room for protest. Gwaine sagged and plunked down dejectedly onto the bench, “I yelled at him” he said quietly, looking at his hands on the table. Lancelot and Gwen looked at him expectantly, waiting for him to elaborate. He looked up at the sudden silence, “I told him how much Merlin had believed in him and how it was his faith that convinced me to stay. I told him he wasn’t deserving of Merlin and that Merlin was a better man than him…” he paused, there was obviously something else, but he seemed hesitant to say anything more. Looking into their expectant eyes he sighed, “I told him that if Merlin died… that I would run him through” despite all of their anger towards Arthur, Gwaine knew that Lancelot and Gwen were loyal to him and would never dream of hurting him, or so he thought. “good” replied Gwen shortly, startling both men. She looked at them fiery determination blazing in her eyes. “If you don’t I will” she continued, neither man doubted the truthfulness of her words. “well then that’s three people ready to avenge Merlin” said Lancelot they all wanted those promises to be pointless. They sat in silence for a while before a sudden though came to Gwen, “Merlin doesn’t know that Arthur knows, does he?” the question stunned both men, neither of them had thought of that. They exchanged glances before Gwen stood up and looked pointedly at Gwaine, “let’s go get our boy a pastry” she said. Gwaine smiled and stood up followed shortly by Lancelot. “I’m going to go find the others, we should talk” said Lancelot, they all knew he was referring to the other knights. “tell Elyan that I know about Merlin” she said to Lancelot, he looked at her and nodded. They all headed out the door.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is shorter than the others and a bit all over the place, my apologies.

Since that day in the Crypts, relationships had been strained. Lancelot had met with the other knights who were in full agreement that Arthur was wrong but none of them were willing to do anything about it until they had to, instead they threw the prince dirty looks and essentially ignored him. Merlin picked up on the tension but was unsure as to what was causing it. He didn’t give it much thought however as he was too busy. Their absence had left a lot of work to do, his head slowed him down some too. It had pretty much healed, but he was still careful to not turn his head to sharply. Arthur had been acting strange since they had returned, he wasn’t as open to their normal banter, Merlin attributed it to the issue between him and the knights. It never even crossed his mind that he was the cause of the tension, so he went about his normal everyday business completely oblivious to his royal shadow. 

Arthur had sat in that room for hours, moving between fits of deep thought and crying. Gwaine’s words had hit him hard, much harder then he thought they should have. They also served to center his thoughts, as per usual Gwaine kept everyone grounded, even without meaning to. He was able to think clearly and rationally for the first time in many days. Merlin had been with him for five years, he had his complete trust. He had numerous opportunities to take over Camelot, kill him or his father, hell he had plenty of chances to sit back and let them die, he wouldn’t have even had to a lift a finger. But he did, time and time again. The more he thought about it, the more he realized his seemingly unending luck in battle was due to Merlin. He had been saving his life since that first time he pulled him away from the knife flying directly towards his chest. Merlin hadn’t even known him, yet he had risked exposing himself to save him, even after he had been tossed in the dungeons and pelted in the stocks. He was almost positive that the chandelier had been his doing, he also knew that Merlin had been at least fifteen steps away from him when the witch threw the knife, he mentally kicked himself for not seeing the blindingly obvious. The only way Merlin could have pulled him out of the way in time was by using magic. Arthur owed his life to Merlin, many, many times over. He was still wary of the man, but he knew he could never hurt him or turn him in. His secret was safe, for now. However, Uther’s constant warnings played through his head preventing him from leaving the subject alone. In a bid to appease both sides of his warring soul he decided to follow Merlin secretly for a few days to see what he got up too. He was sure Merlin used magic to complete most if not all of his chores, but Merlin also seemed to have a fair amount of free time and Arthur wanted to know what he did with that time. 

Arthur didn’t try to patch things up with the knights because he felt he deserved their anger. Every word Gwaine had said was true, Merlin was a far better man then he could ever hope to be, he had his back every step of the way and in return Arthur had nearly tossed him to the proverbial wolves. Guilt gnawed at him every moment of the day and sleep offered no reprieve. He kept seeing Merlin keeling over in the courtyard, obviously ill. He had been so wrapped up in his own stupid, selfish thoughts that he hadn’t noticed his friend slowly dying right beside him. Merlin wasn’t upset with him which almost made it worse, he needed Merlin to be angry. But that made him the only one, he had seen Gwen a few times since the day they got back but, she hadn’t uttered a single word to him. She had barely even looked at him and when she did it was a look of hatred, which was not a natural look for her normally sunny face. Arthur didn’t object to her anger either, he wasn’t sure how much she knew, but he was certain part if not all of her contempt was due to his lack of care for Merlin during their ordeal. 

Arthur followed Merlin for a week before anything notable happened. His father had requested his presence in the great hall which usually meant something had gone wrong. When he arrived, he saw his knights already there among the other knights, he also noticed Gwen in the corner standing beside Merlin. Her stance became protective when Arthur’s eyes met hers. He averted his gaze and then found his fathers. A man knelt at the king’s feet, Arthur walked to stand beside his father and listen to what the man had to say. He looked disheveled, he was covered in mud, he had small cuts all over his arms and a few on his face, a large gash sat just above his temple. The man was terrified, he was shaking and struggling to create a coherent sentence. He finally managed to get out something that made sense, something that froze the entire court and made Uther seethe. “M..Mor..Morgana” he had stuttered. Arthur noticed that Merlin was tenser than anyone else in the court, he seemed almost more upset than Uther. He stepped forward and knelt in front of the still babbling man. He placed a hand gently on the man’s shoulder and tried to focus his attention, “sir, I need you to calm down and tell me what happened, I give you my word that no harm will come to you” he said reassuringly, the man seemed to compose himself a bit before beginning again. “I was out cutting wood and she… she walked right into the clearing. At first, I..I didn’t know who she was, she seemed upset so I asked if she was alright. When she turned to look at me…” he paused and shuddered at the memory “her eyes were cold, she looked at me and her eyes glowed, she used m..magic. I must have flown at least thirty feet. I shouldn’t be alive, but the branches broke my fall” Arthur was confused by his statement for a moment before he realized the measurement was not in reference to distance but height, Morgana had thrown a man thirty feet into the air. Arthur risked a glance at his servant, he looked white as a sheet and his hands were trembling ever so slightly. Arthur took a deep breath and thanked the man. He turned towards his father who dismissed everyone with a wave of his hand, his eyes told Arthur that he should stay. 

His father was furious, deservedly so. He had loved Morgana, he truly had, her betrayal had nearly killed him. Uther clearly wanted her caught but didn’t want to send Arthur to find her, it was too dangerous he said. Instead he instructed his knights to leave in search of her at first light. Arthur knew not to push the subject, so he excused himself and went in search of Merlin. He recognized the boy darting across the courtyard, it was a miracle he saw him at all, he seemed to melt into the shadows. He was surprisingly agile, and made almost no sound, a stark contrast to his normal bumbling manor. Arthur followed the boy matching his stealth, but just barely. He cursed himself for not realizing sooner that such a lithe person should not be as loud as he normally was. He pushed the thought aside and instead focused on keeping his servants black mop of hair in sight. He continued past the gates and into the woods surrounding the town. Arthur was growing more curious by the minute, Merlin had his satchel for gathering herbs, but he was moving far too fast to actually be looking for anything. Instead it seemed that he was headed somewhere very specific. Arthur stopped as Merlin cleared the trees and entered a large clearing. Arthur could see Camelot in the distance but only just, the fog concealed most of the turrets, but some lights still managed to pierce the grey veil surrounding the city. Arthur was pulled from his thoughts when a rough foreign voice began to roar, Arthur realized with a fair amount of horror that the sounds were emanating from his servant who had made it to the middle of the clearing and now had his head thrown back shouting at the sky. Arthur was puzzled, he had yet to hear Merlin actually use any spells, all the magic he had witnessed up to now had been wordless. His voice was so serious and un-Merlin like which was arguably what scared him most. However, that fear was dwarfed when he heard the flapping of giant wings and looked up to see the Great Dragon very much alive. He was somewhat happy to note that his fear was for Merlin, he was sure that this beast was going to either burn him to a crisp or swallow him whole. Either way Arthur was terrified, he reached for his sword but stopped when Merlin’s normal voice reached him. Arthur gaped at his servant, he was talking to the Great Dragon, having a conversation as if over tea. Arthur almost laughed out loud at the image but managed to keep his mouth shut.


	4. AN

So, I'm at a bit of an impasse. I have a finished version of this story but I really don't like it. I feel like everything wraps up far too rapidly but I also have no idea where else I would go with the story at the moment. I'm going to post the current version with the promise that at some point in time I will come back and rework it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Like I mentioned previously, this is not my favorite work of mine and I have every intention of coming back and fixing it at some point.

Unbeknownst to both Merlin and Arthur, Gwaine, Lancelot and Gwen were huddled just a few meters away from Arthur, two of the three people looking just as shocked as Arthur. Gwen had been walking home when she saw Merlin scurrying through the streets she paused, curious, but her heart caught in her throat when she caught the glint of Arthur’s armor in the moonlight. He was following Merlin, a strange look on his face. She took off as fast as she could knowing exactly where Gwaine would be. She burst into the Tavern not even apologizing to the server she had bowled over. She searched the busy room until her gaze landed on Gwaine, he noticed her only moments after she noticed him. He was off his chair and by her side in an instant, “what is it?” he asked. “It’s Merlin” she replied her tone said it all, he turned towards the barkeep, “put the drinks on my tab” he called and gently led Gwen from the tavern. They found Lancelot quickly after that and Gwen explained what she had seen. They were off in an instant following the sloppy trail left by who they assumed was Merlin. They had heard the foreign words being wrenched from someone’s throat and pushed themselves to run a little faster. They all but skidded to a stop when they saw Arthur crouched just within the tree line of a large clearing. He seemed fine but they still couldn’t see Merlin which worried them, who on earth had screamed those words, only Lancelot knew the answer to that. He had seen Merlin summon the Great Dragon once before, it was a sight to behold, he just hoped that Arthur could handle it. He pulled his confused companions away from Arthur and farther down the tree line. They settled down just in time to see the dragon land in the grass in front of Merlin. Lancelot held his arm out to stop Gwaine from charging into the clearing. Gwaine gave him a look that had previously been reserved for Arthur, but he ignored It and gestured silently to the middle of the clearing where Merlin was menially chatting with the giant dragon. Gwaine’s jaw slackened before he broke into a large grin, “of course he’s friends with a bloody dragon, sneaky little bugger” he said amused, Lancelot smiled. Gwen meanwhile was entranced, its scales rippled and shone in the moonlight while his golden eyes spoke of untold power. The dragon was beautiful, in a terrifying look don’t touch sort of way. The group of three were close enough to hear the conversation, they felt like they were intruding but curiosity won over and they stayed put. Lancelot noticed that Arthur obviously had the same idea as he crouched mouth hanging open just a few meters away. “It’s good to see you, young warlock” said the dragon. “I wish our meeting could be under better circumstances” replied Merlin, somewhat sadly. “Morgana is back, and she’s been practicing” said Merlin, looking surprisingly lost for someone who had just summoned a dragon. Arthur felt his breath rush out of him when he realized what Merlin’s command over the dragon meant. He was upset that Merlin had lied to him about the dragon’s fate, but the fire of that anger was doused when he remembered telling Merlin that no man was worth his tears. The man Arthur had been referring to had been Merlin’s father. He remembered the look on Merlin’s face when he had turned away from the man’s body. The sadness in his servant’s eyes had shocked him but only momentarily. That shock had been clouded with anger as he realized what the man’s death meant for Camelot. Arthur had been too busy over the next few days to give much thought to Merlin’s mood, eventually it seemed to have blown over so he let it go. He regretted that decision immensely right now. A few meters away Gwen had come to the same realization and a tear slowly slid down her cheek. Gwaine had not been around when the Great Dragon had threatened Camelot, so he was unaware of the connection Merlin had to the dragon. “You have let her actions go unpunished long enough” said the Dragon sternly, “I know, but it’s different killing someone you used to be close to, I was so sure I could save her from her fate” said Merlin, the presence of budding tears evident in the way his voice quivered. “I have told you many times, there is no escaping destiny. No matter how you try she will always find you” replied the dragon. Merlin nodded wiping away the few tears that had managed to fall with the back of his hand.

“I didn’t know you cared so much Emrys” said a cold voice from across the clearing, the last word laced with venom. No one had seen the hooded figure approach, they had all been too wrapped up in the spectacle unfolding in front of them. Lancelot kicked himself for not paying more attention, he had seen this before, but he has still been transfixed. Merlin whirled around to face the speaker. It took a moment for the spectators to realize what the figure had called Merlin, “Emrys”. They all knew what the name meant, it had been brought to Uther’s attention about three months ago. “Some say he is the most powerful sorcerer to ever walk the earth”, they all individually remembered the words spoken by the old man as he gave his warning to the king. Despite the obvious evidence, none of the them was truly willing to believe that their friend was this all powerful being, the hooded figure must be mistaken. Their thoughts were stopped cold by the words Merlin uttered next. “How do you know my name?” the boy questioned a little nervously. “I know more than you think” said the figure, the hood was slowly pulled down to reveal the pale porcelain skin, striking green eyes, and painfully tousled black hair of Morgana Pendragon. In this exact moment every person in the vicinity was equally surprised. Morgana ignored the hulking dragon behind Merlin, well aware of his title she knew any attempts at swaying the dragon’s loyalties would be useless. Instead she focused her attention on Merlin and sent him flying through the air much to the horror of the four people currently crouched in the bushes. They all heard the sickening crunch as Merlin landed on the semi frozen ground. All four onlookers were debating making their presence known, they hated to see their friend in pain, but they also knew that their presence would only distract Merlin. Arthur’s logic however was losing the battle, he readied himself to spring at Morgana. Before he could launch his frankly idiotic plan, a gloved hand clamped over his mouth, he began to struggle but stopped when he saw Gwen looking at him, hate still evident in her gaze. Lancelot removed his hand from Arthurs face, “what are you doing here?” he hissed out, anger very clear in his voice, “I could ask you the same thing” Arthur retorted. “now is not the time” scolded Gwen, desperately gesturing to what was unfolding in the clearing. They saw sense and the anger that had been growing in all three men faded to a simmer. They all watched practically biting their nails as Morgana advanced on their fallen friend. “Why isn’t the dragon doing anything” said Arthur sounding irritated. They were relieved when they detected the worry in the prince’s voice. “I don’t think he can” said Gwen. “or he won’t” spat Gwaine his anger now directed towards the dragon standing passively in the clearing. “He said you can’t escape fate right, dragons are creatures of magic, as such they aren’t allowed to interfere with the natural order of things” said Gwen, all three men turned to stare at her in disbelief. “I’ve been reading up on magic, I’m not letting Merlin go through this alone anymore” she said pointedly. Their attention was drawn back to the clearing when they heard voices, Merlin had managed to stand but he looked far from steady. The side of his face was covered in blood and he was cradling his torso with one arm, the other hanging sickeningly limp at his side. “You’re stronger than many give you credit for” said Morgana, obviously impressed with the boy’s fortitude. “Unfortunately, your admirable actions will never be discovered.” She continued. “you know when I…” she was cut short by Merlin’s uncharacteristic outburst, “enough talk” he all but shouted. Morgana grinned “I like angry Merlin far more than sniveling servant Merlin” she said before murmuring a few words and outstretching her hand, sending a spinning ball of fire straight for Merlin’s chest. He held his hand up and the spell stopped mere inches from his chest, he could feel the heat radiating from the ball of fire. Pushing his hand out, he sent the spell tumbling back towards a stunned Morgana, who barely managed to roll out of its path. It struck a tree at the far end of the clearing blowing right through the mighty oak’s trunk. The four huddled figures shuddered at the thought of that colliding instead with Merlin’s slim frame. Merlin’s face bore a look that most of those present had never seen before, he was confident and didn’t appear to be frightened at all. He was perfectly in his element. The two sorcerers flung spells at each other none hitting their mark.

Suddenly Arthur stiffened, all three of the others noticed this change and swung their heads in his direction, his eyes were locked with the dragons and he looked terrified. Slowly a different emotion crossed his face, understanding. He broke the dragons gaze and his eyes flew across the clearing to where Merlin was fearlessly battling an increasingly exasperated Morgana. He looked at the others who were still staring curiously at him. “My sword” he said grabbing the hilt of the weapon sheathed at this waist, “Merlin had the dragon forge it, it’s the only weapon that can kill her” he finished. “we need to get it to him” said Lancelot calmly, he was scanning the clearing, taking in every bit of information he could, developing a plan to help his friend. His racing mind was ripped from its train of thought as he heard a pained scream. Gwen clapped one hand over mouth presumably to stop any sound from escaping and giving away their location, she unconsciously grabbed Arthurs hand with the other, had his eyes not been glued to his friend he would have looked at their now intertwined hands. Gwaine was ready to run into the clearing and lop Morgana’s pretty head off but a deep voice echoed in his skull causing him to pause. Based on his friends faces, they could hear the voice too. He realized that it was the dragons voice, “you mustn’t interfere, it is not Merlin’s destiny to die by Morgana’s hand. Fate will not allow him to be killed in this battle” he said matter of factly. The dragon’s words soothed the group a bit but the smell of burning flesh reached their noses and any hope they had was gone. They had all imagined that smell, it was the stuff of their nightmares. They could faintly see smoke rising from Merlin’s chest where he lay sprawled on the ground once again. Morgana stood a few meters away admiring her handy work, “I really thought you would have put up more of a fight, Emrys” she said. They held their breath waiting for any signs of life to come from the downed man. But none came, not for what felt like ages. The dragon had turned his gaze to the motionless sorcerer. He suddenly turned his head towards the four people waiting agonizingly in the bushes, praying with everything they had that their friend was not dead, that they had not just sat back and watched their friend be killed. They all stiffened once again as the dragon spoke to them, “he lives, he is weak but there is still a chance for him to beat her” said the dragon. Gwen had stopped listening after “he lives” but the other three were focused on the dragon’s words. “If you can get the sword to him, he may be able to catch her by surprise” said the dragon, an idea popped into Arthurs mind. It was a stupid idea, probably the stupidest idea he’d ever had but it was all he could think of and the smell of his friends burnt flesh was still assaulting him, so he decided to embrace the stupid decision. He paused for a moment and turned to Gwen who was still staring at Merlin’s lifeless body lying at Morgana’s feet. He cupped her cheek in his hand and gently turned her head towards him, she was surprised at the sudden contact but was even more surprised when Arthur pressed his lips against hers. She was stiff for a moment but not for long, she began to kiss him back but all to soon he was gone, and not just his lips, he was gone. He had taken off across the clearing. Lancelot and Gwaine made a move to follow but where stopped by the dragon’s voice once again “You can’t interfere” he said, sounding almost irritated, Gwaine growled lowly in response. Gwen was still in shock, the prince had kissed her, the man she had been secretly pining over for months had kissed her, she was brought back to the present when he heard Arthur scream Morgana’s name.

She whirled at the familiar voice, a wicked grin spreading across her face as she saw the man walking towards her. “Hello, Brother” she said “It’s been too long, I’m sorry about your friend, this must all come as quite a shock. I mean the man you have trusted for five years has betrayed you. I imagine you are torn about his death, on one hand he was your friend but on the other hand he betrayed you, he betrayed the whole of Camelot” she sneered. He was tired of her leering words but knew he had to keep her attention, so he let her continue, for now at least. “You never knew how powerful he was” she said almost sadly, glancing down at the still motionless man. “He cared for you deeply, Arthur. Imagine how hard it must have been for him to know that your feelings for him were only skin deep, you could never really care for who he truly was, but you, you were his everything” she shot the words at him like barbs. They did their job and sent sharp pains ripping through his chest, momentarily overcoming him with guilt. She forged on “Even now, I can feel him slipping and do you want to know what he is thinking about” Arthur had a feeling he already knew but he let her continue “He’s thinking about you, he’s sorry for hiding this from you” she barked out a harsh laugh. “he’s also terrified” she paused for dramatic effect, “he’s terrified for your safety, he can sense that you are here.” She grinned wickedly as Arthur’s face crumpled. “Him and I are a lot alike you know, you trusted us both immensely but we both betrayed you.” That statement broke the very thin string that had been tethering him to his sanity, he exploded. “Merlin is nothing like you” he shouted, “Merlin is everything you are not. He is everything good and right in this world, he is the most loyal man I have ever met” he was pointing his words more towards Merlin now, hoping that the dying man would hear them. “He spent his life protecting me, and I never once thanked him. He risked his life countless times for a kingdom that would have killed him without a second thought. Never once did he complain, he is what every man should aspire to be.” Arthur was losing steam as the truth of what he was saying hit him. “He was the best, most courageous and sincere friend I have ever had” he could feel the tears running down his cheeks but he needed to keep going, he needed Merlin to know “He deserved the world and instead he got me, I never deserved his friendship” he finished, his last worlds barely more than a whisper, Morgana was elated by the sight in front of her. Here was Arthur, the normally stoic man reduced to a blubbering mess, had she not been intoxicated by his sadness she might have noticed that his sword was gone from his hand, she may have noticed that Merlin was no longer laying at her feet, she may have even noticed the series of small relieved gasps coming from the woods. But she noticed none of these things, too enthralled by her brother’s turmoil. Her grin faltered, she looked at Arthur who had taken a surprised step back and was staring intently at her chest. She followed his gaze to find the end of sword protruding from just below her rib cage. The sword was suddenly removed, and she was falling, she was faintly aware of the pounding of feet coming towards her. She stared up at the sky, but her view was suddenly obstructed by none other than the man she was certain she had killed. She noticed that he was still pale and looked to be in pain, this pleased her, but his words cut her pleasure short, “You can’t escape fate Morgana, you always knew this is how it would end” said Merlin. Shakily he knelt down next to her, his knees digging uncomfortably into the cold earth. He felt like his whole body was on fire, but he kept his face passive as he bent his head towards hers. Gwaine, Lancelot and Gwen had reached them and joined Arthur in standing around the two figures on the ground, they looked equally confused. Merlin ignored them however, he put his cheek against hers and whispered in her ear “I want you to know that I never once hated you, I know how many times you have tried to kill me, Arthur and Uther, but I never hated you. You stood by your beliefs no matter what happened, and I admire that, you deserved more than this and I’m sorry that I failed you, I hope you can forgive me as I have forgiven you”. A single tear slid down her cheek, Merlin pulled back slowly barely holding onto consciousness, none of his friends noticed that however, they were too busy staring at the dying Morgana. She stared at Merlin and another tear fell as she felt him grip her hand, he nodded gently at her and she nodded back before her eyelids fluttered closed, eclipsing her eyes as she took one last shuddering breath. There was a moment of silence, all of them half expecting her to jump back up. “Is she really gone?” said Gwen, her voice raw with emotion, Merlin stood shakily and simply nodded. They all had yet to notice Merlin’s quickly paling face and the smoke still drifting from his mangled chest. Arthurs head suddenly snapped up and he stared directly at Merlin as the dragon spoke to him once more, “He’s dying”. Merlin stared back but it didn’t seem like he was really there, Arthur lunged at him and managed to catch his head before it collided with the ground. Gwen gasped and Lancelot and Gwaine were by his side in an instant. “Is he ok?” said Gwen nervously. Merlin was deathly still, Arthur slowly reached his hands towards his friend’s neck, terrified of what he might find, or more accurately, not find. He breathed a sigh of relief as his fingers found a faint pulse, weak but there. He nodded as tears leapt to his eyes. “I’ll go ahead and warn Gaius that we are coming” said Gwaine, sounding hopeful. Arthur nodded as Lancelot helped him gingerly lift the servant from the ground. They began to make their way out of the clearing when the dragon spoke once more “his trials are not over, he still has much to learn and much to conquer. The path will be far from easy, but your presence will ease his strain” without another word he unfurled his wings and took off into the encroaching light of the dawn. Gwen was the only one who looked back at Morgana’s body as the two knights continued walking. She looked back at the boy held lightly between the two men. He looked so young, so innocent, she wondered what he had said to Morgana. Whatever it had been, it seemed to put her at peace. Despite her anger towards the sorceress she was glad that she hadn’t died afraid.

Merlin woke to a raging headache, he noticed Gaius, Arthur, Gwaine, Lancelot, and Gwen standing in a circle in the corner, speaking in hushed tones. Merlin’s mind flashed back to the night in the clearing, he went cold when he remembered who had been gathered around him that night. They knew, they all knew. “And here I was thinking that sorcerers were exempt from hangovers” he said, intending to levy the anger he was certain was coming. Every head in the circle swiveled towards him. Gwaine laughed at Merlin’s comment, “No one is that lucky mate, not even the most powerful of warlocks” he said giving Merlin a pointed yet reassuring look. Merlin’s eyes darted between the people in the room. Arthurs eyes met his servants, his intended scolding died on his lips as he noticed the abject terror in his friend’s eyes. Nobody missed the slight shaking that had begun to claim the boy’s body. Gwen dashed forward and pulled him into a hug, “you’re alright, no one is going to hurt you” she said soothingly. Merlin was stiff as a board in her grasp, she leaned back and gestured to the others, “we won’t let anything happen to you”. Merlin tensed even more if that was possible when Arthur stepped forward. Arthur ignored the motion and knelt down in front of his friend “as long as I am in Camelot, no harm will come to you. You have my word” the last words seemed to sooth Merlin a bit as his shoulders loosened. A slightly wicked thought came to Gwaine, “Merlin, you know I am a man of my word don’t you?” he said, Merlin nodded warily, terror making way for confusion. Arthur shot Gwaine a look as he realized what he was planning. “I promised princess here that if anything were to happen to you, I would kill him” Merlin tensed again, but this time at the thought of Arthur dying, his eyes flicked somewhat desperately between the crown prince and the wayward knight. “I believe your exact words were ‘run me through’” said Arthur lightly, Merlin relaxed once more as he spotted Arthur’s wry grin and Gwaine’s much more evident smirk. Lancelot glanced at Gwen and nodded, “I seconded that promise, as did Lancelot”, Arthur’s smirk disappeared for a moment and Merlin shrank back again, he whipped his head towards the woman he loved and broke into the first real smile he had made since that fateful morning in the woods. Merlin calmed at the sight of Arthurs genuine grin. He was also well aware of how long it had been since a true smile had graced Arthur’s features. Gwen just smiled smugly, a smile that would have looked more at home on Gwaine’s face. Arthur returned his attention to the sorcerer sitting in front of him, “thank you” he said plainly. Merlin scrunched up his face in confusion, “for what?” he questioned. “Everything you idiot” Arthur chuckled incredulously “after everything you’ve done you still won’t take the credit” he shook his head, the smile had yet to vacate his lips. Merlin smiled back “I don’t do it for the recognition, I do it because you deserve it” Arthurs head shot up at the last words. “you heard me?” questioned Arthur. “I heard everything” he replied.


End file.
